You’ve wandered among aisles of supplement bottles at the grocery store. You’ve seen hyped-up posts online about how vitamins can turn you into a superhuman. And you’ve got that one friend who swears that taking vitamin B12 every day will change your life. Vitamins get a lot of praise—and a lot of flack. But what’s really going on behind the A’s, B’s and C’s?
The simple answer? Vitamins are the nutrients your body needs to stay alive, fight germs and keep you looking (and feeling) your best. Vitamins aren’t just something you find at the pharmacy. They’re in all the food you eat, from salads to burgers to popcorn. However, it’s really hard to get all the vitamins you need from your diet alone, so some people take vitamin supplements to fill in their nutritional gaps.
Whether you get your vitamins from a supplement or your diet, one fact remains the same: They are critical to your well-being. Below, you’ll learn why vitamins are so important and how to get the essential vitamins you need to support your personal health goals.
Why Do You Need Vitamins?
If your body was a car, vitamins would be the fuel. Without vitamins, your body just can’t run. But, your body is much more complex than a car, so it needs many different types of fuel. Certain vitamins fuel your brain, others fuel your immune system and others keep your skin clear and firm. Just like a car, your body needs fuel constantly to do its many jobs. That’s why you need vitamins daily to keep you on your feet.
This is called supporting your foundational health—the base level of wellness that keeps you functioning at your best every day. It involves the essential processes your body performs, like detoxification, immune response and energy production. So, vitamins are not just for when you’re sick or feeling low energy. They are the building blocks of a strong foundation of nutrition. When your foundation is strong, your body has the fuel it needs every day. If your foundation is full of cracks, your body might run like a clunker.
What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Vitamins?
If you don’t get any of a certain vitamin, you will be in bad shape. This is called a vitamin deficiency, and it can lead to serious disease and death. Due to smaller diets and less efficient metabolism, elderly people are at risk of a serious deficiency. So, if you’re over the hill, consider taking a multivitamin.
Most children and adults in America are not at risk of serious deficiency. But, they still aren’t getting enough vitamins to support their mental and physical health. Most Americans don’t get enough vitamins A, C, D and E [1,2]. That means our tanks are running on fumes, and as a result, our internal machinery (aka our organs) is suffering. A lack of vitamins can cause weight gain, depression, breakouts and tiredness. It can also weaken your immune system, causing you to get sick more often.
Over time, it can lead to permanent diseases like osteoporosis and diabetes [3]. But most likely, you’ll just feel tired, stressed and maybe a bit achy. You may also have problems with your gut or notice issues with your skin or nails. Or, you may just not feel like the “you” who you want to be. These are all symptoms of inadequate nutrition. If you feel like this regularly, a simple vitamin could be a life changer.
What You Can Do Right Now to Get More Daily Vitamins
We’re going to tell you about each vitamin in the next section of this article, but if you’re not interested in the nitty-gritty, here’s what you can do right now to fill your vitamin tank:
- Eat a healthy, varied diet: Different foods contain different nutrients, so the more variety you have on your plate, the more likely you are to get a bunch of vitamins. Whole foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and fish are among the most nutritious.
- Take a multivitamin: A multivitamin contains many of the vitamins you need each day. So, if you don’t get all the vitamins you need from your food, your multivitamin has your back. Try Manna Liposomal Multivitamin. It’s jam-packed with vitamins and formulated by scientists for maximum effect.
- Take an antioxidant supplement: Antioxidants are in charge of removing toxins from your body. These toxins can attack and damage your cells and make you feel terrible. Getting rid of these toxins has huge benefits for your immune system, mental clarity and basically all of your organs. Try Manna Liposomal Curcumin. It’s a natural antioxidant with some of the best scientific evidence behind it [4].
- Take an immunity booster: Nobody wants to get sick. But you need lots of vitamins to maintain your immune system—and we don’t get enough of many critical ones, like vitamins C and D. An immunity booster like Manna Liposomal Elderberry Immune will help protect your body from intruders.
- Take the FREE Manna Vitamin Quiz: Are you not feeling quite like yourself? You might be suffering from a lack of nutrition. Take our 60-second vitamin quiz to find out which vitamins may help rebuild your nutritional foundation so you can get back to feeling great. Just answer a few questions and we’ll recommend the vitamins! Take the quiz here.
Tip: If you’re interested in adding all of the above vitamins to your daily routine, you can save a stack of cash by bundling them together. Manna’s Starter Bundle includes a Multivitamin, Curcumin, and Immunity Support all in one. There’s no better way to strengthen your nutritional foundation!
These Are The Essential Vitamins You Need Each Day
Here’s a closer look at the essential vitamins your body needs to function optimally. When shopping, make sure to check the dietary facts labels to see which vitamins you get from your food items.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is a key player in maintaining good vision, ensuring the proper functioning of your immune system, and supporting cell growth. It’s vital for reproductive health and plays a role in heart, lung and kidney function.
- Vitamin C: An antioxidant vitamin, vitamin C helps protect your cells from damage. It’s also essential for the creation of collagen, which keeps your skin looking youthful and smooth. Plus, it’s an immune system booster.
- Vitamin D: Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D comes from the sun. Unfortunately, it’s one of the vitamins Americans get the least of. It’s crucial for bone health because it helps your body absorb calcium. It also supports muscle function, brain health and immunity.
- Vitamin E: This powerful antioxidant helps combat the effects of free radicals (aka toxins) and supports skin and eye health. It plays a role in the function of many organs in the body.
- Vitamin K: Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and healthy bones. It works with Vitamin D to ensure calcium finds its way to the bones to help them stay strong.
- Thiamin (Vitamin B1): Thiamin helps your body convert food into energy, and it plays an especially important role in processing carbs. If you suffer from afternoon energy crashes, thiamin might help [5].
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): Riboflavin is another energy booster. It helps your body break down carbs, proteins and fats to produce energy. It also assists in maintaining the body’s energy supply.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3): Niacin helps you digest food effectively and maintains a healthy nervous system. Like the other B vitamins, it’s another metabolism helper.
- Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions in the body’s cells, making it a powerhouse vitamin. B6 also helps build new red blood cells.
- Folate (vitamin B9): Vitamin B stands for “brain” in the case of folate. It’s essential for proper brain function and plays a critical role in mental health and emotional stability. Folate is also one of the most important vitamins for expecting mothers and their cargo.
- Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is well-known for its natural energy-boosting powers. In fact, many energy drinks contain B12! It also contributes to mental health, mood and red blood cell formation.
- Biotin (vitamin B7): Biotin is the beauty vitamin. It makes your hair, skin, and nails shine with health. Because it’s a B vitamin, it helps your body convert food into energy. Like folate, biotin is also important for pregnant women for its role in embryonic growth.
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): Worried about your cholesterol? Vitamin B5 might help. This metabolism booster is involved in fat and carb metabolism, and studies suggest that it may help lower bad cholesterol [6].
Each of these vitamins plays a key role in keeping you at your healthiest. They contribute to the high-level functions of your organs—but also to the daily body processes that keep you feeling like yourself each day. Remember that your body can’t make these nutrients on its own, and it needs them to survive. Luckily, you can get 100% of the above vitamins from one serving of Manna Liposomal Multivitamin. Plus, it includes essential minerals as well, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc.
Build Your Foundational Nutrition
If you haven’t been making a conscious effort to get all of your essential vitamins, you probably aren’t getting them. Over half of Americans aren’t getting enough of multiple vitamins. Chances are, you are one of them. It’s time to take your health into your own hands by getting all of your vitamins and strengthening your nutritional foundation. It’s not hard, but you’ve got to do it every day.
The best source of vitamins is the food you eat. Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins are packed with essential nutrients. But sometimes, even with a healthy diet, you might miss out on certain vitamins. This is especially true if you don’t have a diet rich in fish, fresh produce, seeds and healthy oils (which most Americans don’t). A potent multivitamin like Manna Liposomal Multivitamin can help fill in the cracks and ensure your foundation is solid.
Interested in more vitamins as well as other essential nutrients like minerals, antioxidants and probiotics? Take a minute to discover more about your body’s needs with Manna’s Vitamin Quiz. Find out which nutrients cater directly to your unique needs, and take control of your health. Just answer a few questions about your daily routine and your health goals, and you’ll be ready to strengthen your foundation of health and start feeling more like you.
FAQ
While there are numerous vitamins and minerals crucial for maintaining good health, certain vitamins stand out for their essential roles. These include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and the B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B6, B9, and B12). An easy way to get all these nutrients is by taking a good multivitamin!
The daily requirement for each vitamin varies depending on factors such as age, sex, health status, and lifestyle. A good starting point is to meet the recommended daily amounts for adults. To understand how much of each vitamin you’re getting, especially if you’re taking a supplement, check the Supplement Facts label on your multivitamin. This label will show what percentage of the daily value (%DV) each serving provides. Keep in mind that individual needs can differ, so consulting with a healthcare provider to tailor the vitamin amounts to your personal health needs is advisable.
Yes! Daily vitamins are beneficial, especially if your diet doesn’t cover all your nutritional bases. They help ensure you’re getting enough of the essentials to support energy levels, immune health, and overall wellbeing. While vitamins are great for filling in nutritional gaps, they aren’t a substitute for a varied diet. Also, more isn’t always better—taking too much of some vitamins can be harmful. It’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare provider to get advice tailored to your specific health needs and lifestyle.
- https://www.sfsh.com/blog/the-three-vitamins-youre-not-thinking-about-but-should
- https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341729/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33210299/
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pantothenic-acid-vitamin-b5/
